000 AGXX40 KNHC 021800 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST MON DEC 01 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. RADIOFAX SCHEDULE FOR GRAPHICAL WIND WAVE...SURFACE FORECAST AND PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS HAS CHANGED. FOR THE ATLANTIC BASIN THIS INCLUDES 24...36...48 AND 72 HOUR WIND WAVE..24...48..72 HOUR SURFACE FORECAST AND 48 AND 72 HOUR PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE FAX SCHEDULE ON THE NHC WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/RADIOFAX.SHTML THE GULF OF MEXICO... THE BRIEF GALE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO HAS ENDED WITH AN 1108 UTC QUIKSCAT PASS INDICATING NW WINDS OF 20-25 KT WITH ISOLATED 30 KT BARBS MAINLY E OF 85W. MORE RECENTLY PLATFORMS IN THE AREA INDICATE THE WINDS HAVE DROPPED OFF EVEN FURTHER WITH MOST PLATFORMS REPORTING WINDS OF 15-20 KT. SLY RETURN FLOW ALREADY ESTABLISHED W OF 94W IS FORECAST TO INCREASE FURTHER TO A STEADY 20-25 KT TONIGHT AND WED. MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN MOVING THE NEXT COLD FRONT OFF THE TEXAS COAST WED NIGHT. FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE FL PANHANDLE TO THE S-CENTRAL TEXAS COAST BY LATE THU AND FROM THE FL BIG BEND TO S TEXAS BY LATE FRI. FRONT WEAKENS ALONG 28N SAT AND PUSHES SWD TO ALONG 27N SUN WITH A REINFORCING SURGE. WINDS N OF THE FRONT ARE GENERALLY NE 20 KT THU AND FRI... THEN BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE SAT BEFORE TURNING TO THE N AND NE AT 15-20 KT SUN. THE SW N ATLC... RATHER STRONG COLD FRONT CURRENTLY FROM 31N75W TO THE NW BAHAMAS IS RAPIDLY OVERTAKING AN EXISTING WEAKENING COLD FRONT WHICH EXTENDS FROM 31N70W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TO E-CENTRAL CUBA NEAR 22N77W. THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY TONIGHT. THE MERGED FRONT EXTENDS FROM 29N65W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY LATE WED WITH A BAND OF NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT WITHIN 180 NM NW OF THE FRONTAL ZONE. THE FRONT ESSENTIALLY DISSIPATES FRI ALONG 25N/26N WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS 15-20 KT CONFINED TO AREAS S OF 23N. THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE SE COAST FRI. HOWEVER WITH LACK OF DECENT UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT THE FRONT REMAINS WEAK AND DRIFTS SE AND EXTENDS FROM 31N74W TO NE FLORIDA BY LATE SAT. AS IN THE GULF...FRONT PUSHES SE ON SUN AND EXTENDS FROM 31N72W TO THE NW BAHAMAS WITH A REINFORCING SURGE WITH WINDS INCREASING OUT OF THE NW AT 20-25 KT NW OF THE FRONT. THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC ZONE... 1106 UTC HIGH RESOLUTION QUIKSCAT PASS STILL INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF N TO NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS THE NW OF A FRONTAL ZONE EXTENDING FROM E-CENTRAL CUBA TO A 1015 MB LOW JUST OFF THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER. THIS FRONT IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY WEAKEN IN PLACE...PERHAPS DRIFT A BIT TO THE W WITH NE WINDS EXPECTED TO DECREASE SLOWLY TO NEAR 20 KT WED AND TO 15 KT THU. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE FRI THROUGH SUN WITH WEAK HIGH PRES IN PLACE TO THE N. AN EARLIER 0924 UTC HIGH RESOLUTION QUIKSCAT PASS STILL INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE TROPICAL N ATLC ZONE. THESE WINDS APPEAR TO HAVE HELD ON LONGER THAN THE GFS FORECAST SO WILL MAINTAIN WINDS INTO TONIGHT. HOWEVER SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN SUPPORTS WINDS DROPPING OFF TO 10-15 KT OR SO WED AND THU. NE SWELLS FROM A LARGE LOW CURRENTLY NEAR 29N40W MAY AFFECT FAR NE PORTIONS THU AND FRI WITH SEAS UP TO 8 FT. LIGHT NE WINDS IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE ARE EXPECTED FRI THROUGH SUN WITH MORE MODERATE SEAS. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER COBB. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.